A couple of weeks back, I invited some friends over for a poor man’s re-enactment of the 1976 Paris tasting.  We pitted a 2008 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay ($39.99) from the Napa Valley (an old hat in the US/French taste-offs) against a 2009 Olivier Leflaive Chassagne Montrachet ($49.95) from Burgundy in a blind tasting.  Among the group were individuals who had *very strong feelings* about Chardonnay, in general, and California Chardonnay, in particular.

Mr. Cups lent a hand to mask the bottles so even yours truly had no idea what she was drinking.  Wine A was a dark golden yellow, with a nice oak, buttery finish that didn’t go over the top like so many Chardonnays often do.  Wine B was paler in color, but with a similarly rich finish.  Hmmm, I was confused. Weren’t French Chardonnays supposed to be less oakey and full?  Now, all bets were off about which wine was which.

Some comments from the crowd of enthusiastic tasters:

From Pinot-egrigious on Wine A: “Very mild nose…Slightly sweet, oakey.”

From Wine Gal  on Wine A: “Pale straw color…Clean finish.”

From Chardonnista on Wine B: “A beautiful bouquet, stronger nose (than Wine A) but really pleasant…Yummy.”

From Anonymous Wine Drinker Number Four on Wine B: “Soft, transparent yellow…little bit of licorice.”

Then it was time for the unmasking.  Wine A turned out to be our US entrant, the Montelena; Wine B was the Montrachet, my personal favorite of the evening.  (Bottle) shock and awe descended upon the room, since more than one professed Cali or French fan favored the other wine.  But both were delicious.  Here’s a bit more detail:

Chateau Montelena: “Brilliantly clear with a beautiful golden-straw color, this Chardonnay invites you in with tempting aromas of pear tart, tropical passion fruit and lychee, along with wet gravel and a subtle oak spiciness. The palate opens round and fleshy with flavors of juicy peach and mouthwatering, big, citrus notes of pink grapefruit and honey tangerine. The mid-palate is layered with green apple and an understated, nutty, oak tone which segues into an interesting long and spicy finish. Big structure and great weight throughout complement the numerous layers of flavors to complete the package on this classic, Montelena Chardonnay.”

Olivier Leflaive Chassagne Montrachet: “Subtly scented and tonic, with a refreshing, citric quality, this classic village Chassagne is the fruit of a number of tiny vineyard parcels, recently brought into Olivier Leflaive stable. A benchmark example of its type, offering simply brilliant value for money.”

I purchased both wines online from the Spirit Shoppe in Western Mass.  And yes, they will ship to you.

Hats off to my band of intrepid tasters.  I loved the blind tasting format (and hey, other people’s opinions make great fodder for the blog), so look for more recaps from these events in future posts.